We’ve all been there. You look in the mirror and your Highlights aren’t quite what you hoped for. Maybe they’ve grown out and the roots are showing, maybe your salon foils didn’t turn out how you imagined, or maybe your DIY attempt went a little… stripey.
Whatever the story, those bold, chunky lines can feel harsh and anything but natural.
The good news? You don’t need to book another salon visit or spend a fortune. You can fix it at home, in your own time, and for a fraction of the cost — softening those stripes and blending everything into a seamless, beautiful Hair Colour you actually love.
The Goal: Soft, Seamless Colour
The aim is simple: disguise uneven, grown-out, or too-bright stripes by softening your roots and blending your highlights. We do this with a base Colour — think of it as a bridge connecting your natural shade with your lighter pieces.
The result? A soft, natural-looking finish that feels a bit like balayage — lived-in, seamless, and flattering.
This approach works whether you’re:
Growing out DIY highlights
Fixing uneven salon highlights
Looking for a softer transition between your natural roots and foiled pieces
Here’s the best part: once your base Colour is in place, it’s not just a quick fix. With occasional root touch-ups, this look can evolve into a gorgeous, lived-in balayage, or simply serve as the perfect in-between Colour until your next salon visit. No more awkward regrowth or harsh stripes — just a smoothly blended Colour that grows out beautifully.
Step 1: Choosing Your Base Colour
Your base Colour is your secret weapon. It’s a one-Colour process that adds Depth and smooths the contrast between your roots and highlights.
Follow these tips:
Choose a Colour that is close to or no more than two Shades lighter than your Natural Hair.
Match the Colour Tone to your highlights:
Warm highlights: choose a Natural Shade for a softer blend.
Cool highlights: choose Ash or Beige for a seamless finish.
Example:
Kristen’s natural Hair is a 5 Light Brown, with foils bleached and toned to a level 9 Very Light Blonde. The bold lines at her roots made her feel like a zebra.
So we chose 7.1 Ash Blonde mixed with 20 Volume Developer:
Two shades lighter than her Natural Colour
Neutralised yellow Warmth in her Blonde foils
Created a soft, natural-looking blend
Step 2: Painting Your Base Colour
Now the magic begins — this is where you blend away harsh stripes and soften those grown-out or too-bright highlights. Painting your base Colour is a bit like painting your regrowth while also overlapping the start of your foils and gently pulling the Colour down the lengths. The goal is to blend your regrowth and highlight lines, softening foils into a natural, seamless finish.
How To Apply:
Divide your Hair into four sections and work one section at a time.
Paint horizontal rows on the lower sections and vertical rows on the top sections.
Start at the regrowth, painting the base Colour over your roots.
Turn your brush sideways to gently pull the Colour down the Hair, staggering the ends to avoid a harsh line.
Pro Tip: Less is more. You’re aiming for depth and a natural blend, not a flat block of Colour.
Step 3: Toner For A Polished Finish
Once your base Colour is in, it’s time to Tone. This step evens out highlights, Cools unwanted Warmth, and gives Hair that fresh-from-the-salon glow.
Example:
For Kristen, we used the Light Ash Toner Kit to:
Cool yellow tones in her Blonde foils
Create a soft, seamless blend with her new base
Light Ash
Toner Kit
Toning Timing:
Apply base Colour and set your timer for 40 minutes.
With 20 minutes left, apply your Toner to the lengths and ends of your Hair.
Let it process for 15–20 minutes. Comb from roots to ends to blend shades together.
What You’ll Need
Home Hair Colour
Starter Bundle that includes:
Your chosen Colour
Developer
Tint bowl and brush
Two sectioning clips
Wide-tooth comb for blending
Toner Kit: We have five options depending on tone goals.
